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11 September 2008

Paul Broun: No Way, No How, No Debates

"This just shows the disdain he has for people," [Paul Broun said.] He [Jim Whitehead] has talked about the candidate forums and debates that he's come to, but he's come to less than half of them. He won't even face the people whose votes he seeks." [Source: Esquire Magazine, "The Least Important Election in U.S. History", July 17, 2007]

What a difference a year makes.

When candidate Paul Broun was facing off against state Sen. Jim Whitehead in the 2007 10th congressional district special election, he constantly made an issue of Whitehead's refusal to participate in debates across the district.

Now that he's a Congressman, Paul Broun has become the person he once chided for ducking out on debates.

[Congressman Paul]Broun, R-Athens, declined an invitation Wednesday to appear at an Athens Press Club debate.

[Broun Spokesperson Jessica Morris] said Broun now is a sitting congressman, not a full-time candidate, and cannot attend every event he is invited to. Nor does he need to, because voters already know where he stands on issues, she said. [Source: Athens Banner Herald, "Broun to skip debate", September 10, 2008]

Bobby Saxon, the Democrat attempting to unseat Broun in November, had this to say about his Republican opponent's refusal to debate:

"It is absolutely shameful that Paul Broun won't appear before the people he represents."

Of course, if I had voted against the Higher Education Opportunity Act, the American with Disabilities Act Restoration Act and the Emergency Extended Unemployment Compensation Act, I probably wouldn't want to debate either.